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New show ‘A.P. Bio’ lacks comedic relief

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I thought I had found the next classic sitcom. The next “How I Met Your Mother.” Unfortunately, I’ll have to keep looking because the new show “A.P. Bio,” produced by comedian Seth Meyers, is not it.

After watching main character Jack Griffin walk into an Advanced Placement Biology classroom saying, “Hi, my name is Jack Griffin, and I don’t want to be here,” I was instantly captivated by the new NBC show, “A.P. Bio.”

The sitcom revolves around Griffin, a Harvard philosophy professor whose dream job was given to his enemy, Miles Leonard. After this aggravation, Griffin shamefully moves back to his hometown of Toledo, Ohio to teach A.P. Biology.

He makes it clear from the start that his intention is to not teach any biology and explains to his students that he will grant them an A in the class as long as they do not snitch to the principal. There was plenty of room for witty humor in the plotline, yet I was left utterly disappointed.

Shortly into the pilot episode, Griffin discovers his apparent power over his students and decides to make the most of his time in Toledo by using his students to help take down his enemy. In order to accomplish this, the students practice catfishing and other abrasive tasks instead of actually learning biology. Hearing the students read their “seductive” tweets directed towards Leonard should have been hilarious, but their execution just didn’t do it for me.

Though the show contains some scenes that lead to a soft chuckle or two, the overall quality of the show is mediocre at best. The jokes are dry and the acting comes off as trying too hard.

The pilot of “A.P. Bio” premiered on Feb. 1, 2018. As of Feb. 22, 2018, three 22-minute long episodes are available to be viewed on the NBC website, with more episodes to be released later this month. While I wouldn’t highly recommend this show, those looking for a light, cheesy comedy may be more forgiving.

If you do decide to explore Griffin’s attempts to sabotage his enemy, make sure you only do so after your homework is complete, because I guarantee Glenbrook North has no classroom set up like Griffin’s.